


What we forgot

by MidnightSky15089



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe, Drabble, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Fandoms Collide, Feels, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Forbidden, Forbidden Love, Freeform, Friendship/Love, Inspiration, Original Fiction, Random - Freeform, Romantic Fluff, Shyness, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Touch, Touch-Starved, Touching, multifandom - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-01 04:34:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18793093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightSky15089/pseuds/MidnightSky15089
Summary: Catelyn lives in a world where physical contact is forbidden. Her life is going as planned, until a strange thing happens on her way home.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There are many different people that I based the characters on. Alastair is based on Aidan Gillen/ Baelish. You'll guess others. I hope it's not confusing, and that you'll like the story. Feedback is welcome.

It was just another ordinary day. I got up early in the morning, ate my breakfast, went to the classes that I took for the year, went to lunch with a friend and attended some more classes in the late afternoon. I was now very hungry, exhausted and trapped in an awfully full bus. It was so crowded that the driver stopped picking up new passengers. That didn’t help much since everyone was standing about an inch apart. It was something that we were quite used to on the busy weekdays, so no one wined. There was a tiny little problem, though, that appeared in a moment like this. That was the only and most important rule. No physical contact between human beings. 

I glanced at my hand. There was some kind of essence wrapped around my skin, all over my body. It wasn’t always visible. I learned, in time, that it appeared when I sensed that the danger of touching someone was close. I couldn't touch it myself, even if I tried. To me, it didn’t make any difference, but if somehow I touched another person, it would make a barrier between us. Not that I tried doing it, though. Everyone knew what happened to the ones that tried to touch intentionally. But in case of bumping in another person or another similar mistake like that, we had this in order to prevent the worst. 

But why? Why prevent something so ordinary? The truth is, I don't really know. No one does. The first and only thing I remember as a child is being placed at the dorm at the age of 10. I don’t know who my parents are or even if they’re still alive. I don’t know if I have any brothers or sisters, I don’t really know anything, except what they told me. And that could have been anything. The one thing I know that is completely clear, is that I have to stick to the rules.   
As a child, I once found a picture of a woman and a man, holding onto each other closely and smiling. I brought it to my teacher to ask what it meant and she immediately took it away from me, scolding me and punishing me with a few whips on my fingers. I remember crying for days because of it, yet the picture has never left my mind. I’m still wondering what the persons on the picture were doing and why it upset the teacher so much. I soon realized that all I have to do to live calmly was to stick to the rules. And for the past 10 years, I was doing an excellent job.

I was counting the number of the stops to the one on which I have to exit, when the bus suddenly pulled a break. Not holding on to anything, I momentarily lost balance and prepared to land on the floor, when I felt a strange sensation around my wrist. Everything happened very quickly after that. I was pulled up and regained my balance, when I noticed someone’s hand wrapped around my wrist. To my initial shock of anyone touching me in the first place, the barrier between his hand and mine was gone. It was just his fingers wrapped tightly around my wrist. No line, no blue-ish tinge. I looked up and my eyes met with intensely grey ones, belonging to a man I guessed in his forties. He looked just as shocked as I was, but he regained control way faster. He let me go in the next second and whispered so silently, that I was only able to understand him by reading his lips.

“Stay calm. No one saw.” he straightened back up and looked away from me. 

I tried to calm down and breathe as the bus finally pulled to a stop. I stumbled out and ran to my apartment, which was about 10 minutes away, never looking back. If anyone saw what happened, I was dead. There were so many questions appearing in my mind, but there was one that stood out. How on earth was he able to touch me?   
My wrist still burned with a tingling sensation, as I took a few breaths and slowed down my steps. The evening was calm and the moon was shining brightly on the night star-lit sky. The street I was walking on was almost empty, allowing me to get lost on my thoughts. Tears started to form behind my eyes as I walked, remembering instances of strangers being dealt with after they touched. Images of youngsters being electrocuted, adults thrown to the ground and punched by the guards, women and men beaten to death and gunshots heard all around flooded my brain.

Soon enough, I reached the apartment. Closing the door behind me, I threw my bag on the floor and went to the bathroom. I splashed my face with cold water a couple of times, trying to wash away the uncomfortable feeling in my chest. It was as someone would try to squeeze my breath out of me. I’ve never been more afraid in my life and it was all because of a few stupid seconds. If I held on to something like a normal person, none of that would have to happen. Why was I always so careless? I sighed, trying to relieve some frustration. It was going to be okay. No one saw. 'Tomorrow will be a normal day.' I kept on repeating to myself. As I returned to my room, I noticed that the window was open. Before I could react in any way, my eyes stopped on a man from the bus, standing right next to me. A scream died in my throat as he pointed at me with a small gun. 

“You will not scream.” He said with a silky voice. It was not a question or a warning. It sounded more like a simple statement. He sounded calm. Way too calm. I tried to nod or agree in any way, but my body completely froze and I was unable to do anything. “I’m not here to hurt you” he removed the gun and put it in its place behind his belt “but I need you to listen to me. Are we clear?” He asked. I managed to nod this time, my heart pounding in my chest like it was trying to get out of my body.   
Even when the gun was safely put away, I had no death wish. Too many things have happened already and before I was sure the gun wasn't loaded, I wasn't going to risk it. 

“My name is Alastair. What’s yours?” He asked, stepping backwards and giving me a bit more space to breathe. Not that it helped.

“Cat- Catelyn.” I heard myself answer automatically, the shaking from my voice moving to my body. I guessed that not doing what he said wouldn’t be a good idea. I felt like I was about to collapse.

“Catelyn.” He repeated, like he was searching for some resemblance. “I’m sorry for intruding your evening like this. You don’t need to be afraid. Sit down…” He pointed to my bed. “Your knees are about to give in.” He was damn right about it, I could hardly walk. I did what he said and he walked to the window, staring out at the dark and turning away from me. I was actually contemplating if running away was a good idea, but I realized he would probably catch me before I made it to the door. He also still had a gun, only the thought of which made my body shiver with fear.

“Have you any idea why I was able to touch you?” He asked after a few moments, turning back to me. I muttered a quiet ‘no’. Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me, maybe not, but I saw his posture change to a more relaxed one. He took a deep breath.   
“We don’t know why it happens, but on some of us, The Protection doesn’t work. If those individuals touch each other, it’s like it never existed.” He glanced from his hands to mine. “There is no real pattern, but you’re the first that I’ve found after a very long time. There’s quite a few of us. We’re trying to find out why touching is forbidden.” He explained briefly.   
A knot formed in my throat. I didn’t want to be special. I liked my mundane life. 

“You’re researching physical contact?” I asked after I found my voice again. A part of me became curious, remembering that picture from many years ago.

“No, sweetling. We’re practicing it, to understand it. To understand everything. And you’re coming with us.” He answered, his eyes filling with sparks. Sweetling? Who the hell even uses this word, especially when talking to a much younger female you've just met. And threatened with a gun. Another knot formed in my throat. I was sure that going with him meant torture or even death.

“I… I can’t.” I stammered again, trying to sound convincing. I only earned a smooth laugh from him.

“Oh, but you will. Your chances of survival are pretty damn low at the moment. Come with me and live or stay and… Well, we all know what happens to exceptions, don’t we?” He warned me, his voice dropping lower. I did know. Too well. One of the students was taken just last week and was brutally killed in front of the whole class. I did not want to end up the same way. Going with him sounded better, but still not convincing enough. As far as I knew, he could kill me the moment we step outside.

“But… I need to pack.” I said anxiously. Pack. Seriously? That’s all I could come up with? I stood in my room contemplating what to do. That’s when I heard my name being called by a voice that I knew quite well. It was a head of the building and her footsteps were drawing nearer on the corridor. Only that there weren’t only one person’s steps. She wasn’t alone. I felt the tension rise in the room, as I looked towards the man.

“There’s no time. We have everything you need, but we need to leave now. Come on! Let’s go!” he whispered harshly and practically pushed me out of the window. Everything was happening so quickly that I didn’t even have time to evaluate my choices. It was either staying here and having to explain what happened to me to authorities, which would probably end up with me, in a grave. Or go with the stranger and live. If he planned to keep his promise that is. 

Luckily, I lived on the first floor, so that the ground wasn’t too far away. I stumbled on the ground with a quiet sound. He jumped right after me and landed with much more grace than I did. He placed his finger on his lips, signaling me to be quiet and to follow him. We ran across the park behind the building. Because of the dark, I couldn’t see where I was going and my foot landed on a branch. It broke apart with a loud crack.

“Who is there?” called the voice of a guard. I panicked a little but kept on following the man, who was now moving in a lot more cautious way. We stopped in front of a metal fence and I wondered if we were really about to climb it when a very bright light hit my eyes.

“Stay where you are! Do not move or I’ll shoot!” I heard the guard say, as he approached me slowly. This was the second gun that was pointed at me today. I froze on the spot, my body shaking slightly. I’ve seen guns being used on my friends many times and I couldn’t remember how many I’ve lost because of that. 

“Leave her be.” I heard a voice behind me and the guard’s face filled with surprise. He thought I was alone. “There’s no need to do this. You’re just a boy.” The man said calmly. I looked up and he was right. The guard was probably even younger than me, just a boy in a suit. Yet, he was pointing at me with his gun, clenching his fingers around the trigger. He was debating what was just said. I could see it in his eyes, that he wasn’t about to just let me walk away. 

“It is my duty. I can't let you leave." the boy said again and his fingers twitched. I heard a gunshot and my whole body shook with terror. I heard a scream, but I wasn’t sure it came out of my mouth. Closing my eyes, I waited for a sign of pain or for my legs to give in. There was a grip on my forearm, a feeling strange and similar to the one on the bus, pulling me away and I stumbled around, shaking awfully. I finally opened my eyes and saw the boy lying on the ground, his body clenched together in pain. I looked at the man with fear in my eyes and moved away from him. He has just killed someone. The thought echoed in my mind.

"He'll be fine. I went for the leg." he said, following my sight. "Listen to me. Catelyn." his deep eyes pierced into mine as I moved my attention to him. He took a step towards me. "Trust me. Please. That's all I ask." he pleaded.  
I nod, not really sure why. Nothing made sense at that moment. The only thing I knew was that a stranger just got hurt because of me, and that I was the one breaking violations, not him. I was about to leave everything that I knew. The man was still watching me, waiting for an answer. 

"Okay." I said in a silent whisper, but I knew he heard me.

"Okay? Good. Let's go." he moved his head in the direction of the fence and I climbed after him, with my thoughts too full to think rationally.


	2. Chapter 2

I don’t remember falling asleep or blacking out. The only thing I remember was getting into a black van with Alastair. Everything else is a blur. 

Nevertheless, I woke up laying on something very soft and comfortable. I opened my eyes and immediately closed them again because of the bright light. Turning my head away from the light source, I tried again. My head was burning with pain, but I tried to ignore it. Looking around I noticed that I was lying on a sofa in a small room. It was rather dark, maybe because of the grey walls or maybe because of the time. 

The lights in the room were turned on, small bulbs hanging around on the walls and one big bulb in the middle of the ceiling. There was some furniture, mostly made out of metal and wood. Everything looked pretty empty and cold. There was a desk and a big bookshelf on the side opposite of me, a small closet on the right and an old mirror on the left of the door. The couch I was on was the only soft thing, dark grey material matching the colour scheme of the room. There were also a few pillows and blankets on and under me and I snuggled in them, trying to replay everything that has happened in the last few hours. Hours? Maybe even days. I have completely lost the track of time and had no idea how long I’ve been asleep. Looking around, I noticed my bag on the floor, leaned against the foot of the desk.

As I reached towards it, the door on the other side suddenly opened and I jumped a little. My self-defense sensors turned on and I tried sitting up to defend myself from the dark figure, but I failed miserably. My head spun around and my body felt like it was made out of stone. Groaning in dizziness, I fell back down and leaned my back on the sofa for support. 

“Take it easy Catelyn. It’s good to have you back.” Smiled Alastair as he grabbed a stool and set it across from me. 

“What happened?” I asked with dry voice, rubbing my forehead. 

He sat down on the stool and leaned forward, his forearms on his knees. “You kind of passed out in the van. At first, we thought you’re just sleeping, but then you didn’t respond… Well, the point is, I’m glad you’re awake.” He smiled softly, his blue-grey eyes meeting mine. He took a glass full of dark red liquid and held it out for me. “Drink this. You’ll feel better, trust me.”

I looked at it with distrust, but when I noticed a sincere worry on Alastair’s face I took it from him and made a small sip. It tasted sweet and sour, like some kind of juice. If he wanted to poison me, he at least did it with style. It wasn’t too bad at all. “What is it?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s homemade cherry juice. We need to get your sugar levels up.” He grinned, as I wanted to disappear from the world of embarrassing poison thoughts that ran through my mind. I visibly relaxed and took another sip of the delicious drink. It tasted fresh and it made me feel energised.

“Look…” he said looking straight into my eyes. “I know you’re confused and scared at the moment, but I give you my word that you’re much safer here than outside. I won’t hurt you in any way. No one here will. Do you understand me?” he asked and I nod, feeling overwhelmed. My chest squeezed lightly and I took a deep breath.   
“This isn’t your home yet, but I hope you’ll make it so soon. This- " he gestured around "is your room and you can do whatever you like with it. Just… Don’t try to destroy it, please.” He winked and I smiled. There was something about his expression that made me think someone must have done that before. He got up to leave, when I suddenly remembered the incident that brought me here in the first place. 

“What about the whole touch thing?” I asked and he stopped where he was, turning back to me.

“We’ll deal with it once you settle down. I don’t want to throw you out to the fully new world all at once. Plus, it doesn’t work just like that..." he stopped for a second before continuing. "I set some clothes for you. Hopefully, they’ll fit. There’s a living space just down the stairs and to the right. We're making pancakes, in case you want to join us. Also, if you need me at any time, my quarters are right next to yours.” He pointed his finger to the wall on my left. I nod and thanked him, standing up and grabbing the clothes that were laid out on the desk. Alastair closed the door behind him and left me to myself.

I took a good look around the room again, taking it all in and thinking about how I could make it cozier. This was my new home after all. Home. The word still rang in my ears. I never really felt at home before and I wondered if this time it could be different. Above the sofa there was a window, which confirmed my earlier suspicion that it was dark outside. The space felt pretty empty for now, but with little light bulbs hanging around and a few pots of plants, it could turn out pretty great. 

The clothes weren’t something that I’d usually wear. I was used to dress pants, button shirt and a thin cardigan. Here, on the other hand, were black leggings, a t-shirt with a weird pattern on the chest and a big warm hoodie. I threw it on with some sneakers and admired the person who correctly guessed all the sizes. I took another big breath, stepped on the hall and closed the door. There was no key, so I assumed there was no need to lock it. Maybe there was no one else here. The last thought died in my mind, as I stepped on the staircase and heard a bunch of voices coming from downstairs. On the bottom of the stairs, there was a big living room. Large sofas, inviting looking armchairs, a Tv, a burning fireplace and a dining table were spread across the floor. On the same side as the table was another room that I assumed was a kitchen. There were fairy lights hanged on the ceiling and around some bookshelves that were absolutely packed with books. 

“You must be Catelyn.” Said a voice behind me and startled me. I turned around and saw a tall man approaching me. “I’m Thomas.” He stopped in front of me and reached his right hand towards me. I looked at it and then at him, confused. “Right. You haven’t gone over the basics yet.” He mumbled let it drop back at his side.

“Um, basics? I’m sorry.” I asked as I felt like the stupidest person in the world. Like a child that is so helplessly lying in his mother’s arms.

“Don’t be. We’ve all been through it. You’ll learn.” He smiled, immediately trying to make me feel better. His smile was quite contagious and I felt my lips curl up. “There it is. The smile. Come, join us. We just made pancakes.” He offered and opened his arms towards the dining table. 

“Thanks.” I followed him down the stairs, where more people were chatting and laughing. 

Alastair was sitting next to another dark-haired man, whose attention turned to Thomas and me immediately. Alastair pulled out a chair on his side and I sat down on it, greeting everyone else. 

“Everyone, this is Catelyn. Don’t trap her into hugs just yet, yes, Reverie-.” he laughed at the expression of a girl, that I assumed was a bit younger than myself. “give her space to adjust to everything.”

“What’s a hug?” I asked and 6 pairs of eyes turned to me. “I… haven’t heard of that before.” I added silently. The man next to Alastair shifted and turned to me. He was about the same age, with shoulder length dark brown hair and warm brown eyes. 

“It’s when a person puts their arms around another person.” He explained. 

“Like this.” Said Reverie, wrapping her arms around the boy sitting next to her. She looked extremely satisfied, while he looked somehow embarrassed. I didn’t know how to respond. Seeing two people openly touching was weird in the first place, but seeing them so close to each other, was a whole new level of confusion.

“Why… Why would you do that?” The words left my mouth before I could realise it. I didn’t want to be rude on my first evening. Some people chuckled and I felt my cheeks turn slightly red.

“You have much to learn Catelyn.” Alastair showed the last piece of his pancake into his mouth. “Which reminds me. John and I are leaving you kids to do… Whatever you do in the evenings. Try not to scare her off.” He winked at me again and stood up, followed by John. We exchanged good night wishes and they walked up the stairs, away from our sight. 

I took a pancake off the big pile and checked the toppings. There were honey, sugar, chocolate spread and some fruit jams. I decided to go with the chocolate, so I spread some on my pancake and took a bite. I hummed in appreciation, as it tasted heavenly.

“Who made those?” I asked. “They’re really, really good.”

“Ah, that would be me, thank you.” Proclaimed Thomas, his sky blue eyes glittering proudly. After that, the conversation developed with ease and a couple of hours later, the street lights were turned off, plates were empty and our stomachs full. Thomas started washing the dishes and I offered to help, as Reverie and Devon made their way towards their bedrooms. 

They were both younger than I was, but here for already about a year. Reverie was full of life, dreaming big dreams and supposedly an excellent singer. She was like sunshine. Devon, on the other hand, was a very calm and sweet boy, caring about her a lot. He was excellent with numbers and helped John in his lab, where they did biological research about exceptions - like us. During the dinner he was constantly brushing his fingers over Rev’s hand or hair, making her cheeks turn bright red. I was still confused about everything that was going on between them, but I knew that must have been how the world looked like many, many years ago. 

There wasn’t much talk about it, but on cold nights when most of the city was asleep, you could hear strange whispers among the oldest and the poorest of the population. They would talk about love, couples holding their hands while walking in the park, people getting married and parents kissing and cuddling their children to sleep. I’ve always wondered what those stories meant or if they were even true. Early enough I learned that asking about them was as bad as trying to make physical contact. So, I kept it quiet, thinking about them some nights in my bed before the sleep took me away. I was sure that they were connected with that picture that I’ve found.

“So how did Alastair find you?” Thomas suddenly asked, passing me a wet plate that he just washed. 

“I… We were on the same bus and he saved me from kissing the floor of it. By holding my wrist.” I answered, drying the plate with a kitchen cloth. 

“Aha. Al, the savior.” He giggled and finished washing the last plate.

“If that’s how you look at it.” I took it from his hand. The plate was wet from the water and it slipped from his fingers a bit too early. I quickly reached for it, as did he. The plate stabilised in our hands and the position with which we caught it, made his fingers lightly brush against my hand. Electricity shot through the spot on which his skin made contact with mine and I gasped quietly. The feeling was so strange. Not unpleasant, but new. Moving his hand away in the next second, he left the plate in my hands.

“I’m sorry.” Thomas’s eyes met mine. “I should be more careful around you.” His eyes were sincere and for a second, something changed in them. There was a darker glint in them, disappearing as he blinked.

“It’s okay.”

“Shall we make our way to sleep as well?” He asked.

“Yes, that would be a good idea.” I smiled. Even though I’ve only been awake for a few hours, my body was filling with tiredness. I wasn’t properly sleeping before, after all. 

“Wait here for a second.” He gestured, suddenly remembering something and walking towards a huge bookshelf that was absolutely packed with books. He stopped in front of it and examined it for a few seconds. His fingers brushed the backs of a few books, before they stopped and he pulled out a fairly thick book. Grinning victoriously, he walked back and offered the book to me. “Read this. Or just look it through. I think you might find it fascinating.”

Taking the book from his hands, I checked the front. It was an old book and judging from the way it was bound together, probably homemade. The cover was made out of brown leather case and there was a title, written with a thick black marker. What we forgot. The title said. I noticed smaller writing at the bottom of it and gasped in surprise. 

“Alastair wrote this.” I stated, sounding more like I was asking a question. 

“Yes. He did it together with his wife.” Thomas walked towards and up the staircase by my side.

“Wife. Are you saying that he was what they called… married?” 

“What we call. Those stories that you might have heard on the streets, the whispers in the dark…” He said, stopping in front of the door. “They’re all true.” In the same second, the light on the hall went out and the whole moment sent chills down my spine. All the legends that I heard through my life, the forbidden words and memories from those that were supposed to be dead. The illusions of those who were proclaimed mentally ill or even killed. Was he saying that it was all true?

“Oops. Great timing.” He pressed the light switch again and the corridor was back in the light. “It turns off after a while. You know... Energy saving.” He winked. 

Right.

“Anyway, this is me. I believe you’ll find your way.” He pointed towards the direction of my door, which was just about ten steps away.

I playfully rolled my eyes at him. “I will. Good night, then.” I answered and he opened the door of his room, slipping inside.

“Sweet dreams, Catelyn.” His blue eyes met mine once again and this time lingered just for a little longer. 

I felt my cheeks grow warm again and turned around, walking towards my room and quickly closing the door behind me. I’m so awkward. Why am I so awkward? I thought as I flopped on the couch, still clutching the book in my hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading <3.


End file.
